Violet Ice
by Aza1ia
Summary: She didn't ask to be thrown into all of this chaos. Nor did she ask to go on this absurd quest with a smug imp and a large wolf that turned out to be the boy who saved her. The things she did for Zelda... LinkxOC
1. The Fall of Hyrule Castle

Chapter 1: The Fall of Hyrule Castle

It was a peaceful morning. Wispy clouds were swirling lazily amongst the bright blue sky as the people in Castle Town were continuing on with their day to day business. The southern market was bustling as vendors competed with each other loudly, advertising their wares. All in all, it was a typical morning.

Far from a normal person's view, a young woman sat in her own vantage point on a ledge facing out from a higher point in Hyrule Castle. She lazed back, her back grazing the stone of the castle behind her as she observed the town below. She liked this ledge in particular due to the fact that it gave her a perfect view of the entire town.

She sighed and closed her eyes, glad to have a rare moment of peace. The last few days had been quite hectic for her along with everyone in service to the Royal Family.

The King had just passed away a little less than a week ago after several months of illness. His death was no surprise really, as every physician who had seen him had stated that he didn't have much longer to live.

It didn't stop his subjects and his daughter Princess Zelda from hoping and praying for his health. The King had been loved after all, and nobody wanted to see him go. But despite all of the prayers, he still went to join his Queen in the afterlife.

Naturally the council had gathered and plans for Princess Zelda's Coronation had begun instantly, barely leaving time for the kingdom to mourn the loss of their beloved King. The paranoid old coots on the council were desperate to place someone on the throne as soon as possible as it gave them a sense of vulnerability to not have an immediate monarch.

But Zelda was as good as Queen already. In the months of her father's illness, she had been unofficially calling all of the shots. She would be an excellent ruler, though, as she had already been able to gain the loyalty of all of Hyrule's soldiers and the admiration of the entire kingdom. The Coronation was just a mere formality.

"Ava?"

The girl, Ava, whipped her head around at the door she'd never noticed opening as she'd been lost in her thoughts. She relaxed as she saw that it was only the Princess.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready for your coronation, Princess?" Ava asked, relaxing once more.

"You can stop calling me 'Princess' Ava," Zelda said wryly, sitting down carefully next the girl with dark brown hair on the narrow ledge that was just big enough for the two of them. She arranged her skirts to make sure they didn't wrinkle, "we are friends aren't we?"

"Of course," Ava grinned. The smile fell off of her face though when she saw Zelda's grim look. "What's the matter?"

"It's just-" Zelda sighed, adjusting the black mourning veil she wore. "I don't know if I'm ready for such a big responsibility. Being Queen and everything… I just never thought it would happen so soon."

"You're ready, believe me," Ava said with no hesitation. "You're a natural ruler, Zelda. You've been Queen for a long time now really, you're just getting the official title now."

A smile lit the Princess's face. "That means quite a bit to me, coming from you Ava. Thank you." The two girls sat in silence after that, enjoying the faint morning breeze and watching the town below them.

"Why do you always come up here?" Zelda asked after a few moments.

"Hmm," Ava pondered that. "I guess I prefer to observe instead of being observed if that makes any sense. Up here, I can be alone and think and not have to deal with a lot of your idiot soldiers." Ava let out a groan. "Why did you have to promote me? It makes no sense…"

As soon as the king had passed away, the head of the castle's guard had retired, as was the tradition. Every time a new king or queen was crowned, they got to appoint the new head of the guard. To everyone's great surprise and dismay, it was Ava that had been chosen. She was second in command of one of the squads, but that didn't give her the necessary experience to lead the entire guard.

The fair haired princess chuckled. "It seems as if you are the one that needs to have faith in herself. I chose you for a reason, Ava."

"And what reason is that?"

"You know your way around the soldiers." Zelda said simply. "And I need someone I trust leading the soldiers sworn to protect Hyrule."

Ava resisted the urge to snort. Most of the soldiers of Hyrule had a reputation of being lazy and cowardly. It was lucky for them that they weren't at war with any other nation.

Zelda stood up while straightening her skirts. She hesitated at the open door, leading to the inside of the west wing of the castle. "I don't know why but… I have the feeling that something evil is coming our way."

"Something evil?" Ava raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I do not know… but it may just be my imagination…." Zelda frowned then shook her head slightly before smiling. "Forget my musings. Enjoy the rest of your morning, Ava."

Zelda then left Ava on her own. She didn't worry herself about what Zelda said. The princess did like to be cryptic. The petite brunette stretched lazily as her eyelids began to feel heavy. She decided that a quick nap really wouldn't hurt… The guard could do without her for a while, after all.

It felt like she'd only been asleep for a few seconds when she awoke to the angry pecking of a black hawk streaked with silver. Her tiredness disappeared immediately when she realised that it was the royal family's messenger bird.

_Why the bird? Why didn't she just send someone up here?_ Ava wondered worriedly as she fumbled to unroll the roll of parchment from the bird's leg.

She unfolded it and her brow knit in worry at the message. _Gather your troops and come to the throne room immediately. An unknown force is approaching and there is a large chance it is hostile. Please hurry ~Zelda_

Ava shot up from her seated position and entered the castle. The servants she passed by in her haste to get to the barracks looked frantic. The entire castle seemed to be in a panicked uproar at this point.

Nearly sprinting, Ava finally made it to the barracks to find many of the soldiers laughing. Some were drinking and others were playing poker with each other. _Hyrule's finest, _Ava thought dryly.

"LEE! CHARLES!" Ava shouted, drawing the attention of everyone in the barracks. The two men she called stepped forward. James Lee and Aiden Charles were her appointed second and third command. When put on the spot, she'd blurted out their names. But she had made the right choice. They were strong leaders and had much more experience than her.

"What in the goddess's name are you all doing?" Ava snapped. "Do none of you know that _we are under attack_?"

It was uproar after that as some of the stupider soldiers began to panic and shout amongst each other, making it difficult for Ava to distinguish anyone's voice.

"SILENCE!" Charles barked, making his voice radiate throughout the long room. All of the soldiers shut up and eyed the middle aged man in fear. "Compose yourselves, you fools. This is a severe situation!"

"Sorry," Lee whispered to Ava. "We never got the message. We had no idea…"

"It's okay, it's okay," Ava pinched the bridge of her nose, before facing the two hundred soldiers. She stood on the chair provided for her so she could make out all their faces. "Listen up! Your top priority is to protect the princess. We don't know what we're facing… and there is a chance some of you might not make it out alive. But despite everything, you're all we have and the kingdom needs you all to have the guts to face whatever we're dealing with." Ava paused, relived to see that they were all paying rapt attention to her. Maybe she could do this. "You have ten minutes to suit up. Lee's squad will be positioned outside the gate to delay the enemies while Charles and I take the rest of you to directly protect Princess Zelda. Is that clear?"

"YES MA'AM!" The soldiers chanted, now looking fully motivated and ready for the oncoming battle.

"I'll see you in the throne room," Ava muttered to Charles before quickly grabbing her own equipment. She attached her sword and dagger to her belt and picked up her bow, making sure that her quiver was full of arrows. Satisfied, she set off to begin the defence preparations.

The soldiers were quick and had managed to effortlessly arrange themselves in the proper defensive position around their soon to-be queen. A feeling of uneasiness spread out throughout the grand room in anticipation of the upcoming battle.

Ava took her place by Zelda's side, drawing her sword. The fair haired princess had her own sword and shield clutched in front of her in a cautious stance, though she was well protected with four soldiers standing in front of her.

Zelda nodded at Ava, "It's time," she muttered, eyeing the large doors.

There was absolute silence in the throne room as everyone's eyes were focusing on the doors with nervous apprehension. A part of Ava couldn't help but hope that maybe Lee's squad had taken care of the enemy already…

Her hopes were dashed when the doors burst open in a flurry of black smoke, releasing the most horrifying creatures Ava had ever seen. The creatures were large, black, and covered in strange red markings, possessing incredible speed as the scurried on all fours.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that none of the soldiers stood a chance against these beasts.

They fought valiantly, but it didn't matter as they were torn apart. The soldiers that weren't killed lay broken and bleeding. The entire battle spammed less than five minutes, for that was all it took to ensure the enemy's victory. Ava clenched her teeth, giving out a silent prayer for all of the men they'd lost. It was then that the awful realisation hit her that Lee and his men were most likely dead as well, considering they hadn't shown up for backup.

She wished she had an opportunity to attempt a fight against those hideous creatures… but she couldn't leave Zelda unprotected. So she stood there, transfixed, as the men she had only given an inspirational speech to minutes before were torn apart and killed. Ava swallowed hard as she tightened the grip on her sword.

At that exact moment, a man who must've been the beasts' leader entered the chaotic throne room, walking with a stride that radiated arrogance and power with every step. He was flanked by two more of those horrific creatures.

Ava had never seen clothing so strange before. He was wearing long robes covered in the same markings over the monsters with oversized sleeves dangling past his willowy arms. It also made Ava very uncomfortable to see his face hidden behind a large lizardlike mask. It left his emotions and expression a mystery.

He continued to saunter forwards before he stopped a few metres away from where Ava and Zelda were standing. Ava couldn't help but shudder inwardly as fear slid down her spine from the man's stare.

"It is time for you to choose," he said coolly, his voice smooth with hints of a barely noticeable accent. "Surrender… or die." He paused, allowing those words to sink in. "Oh yes, a question for all of Hyrule,"

Ava stiffened, eyeing the bodies around the room. Several of those creatures had wrung the few living soldiers by their necks, only adding to the helmeted man's threats. He was cruel, that was evident from the display he'd just put on. He wouldn't hesitate to slaughter innocent civilians and lay ruin to Hyrule.

Ava knew enough of the princess to know that she would do what she thought would be the best for her people. She would go with the option that would cause the least amount of bloodshed.

"Life or death?" He repeated once more, facing Zelda. There was a mocking undertone in his voice which served to boil Ava's blood. She turned to briefly make eye contact with the taller girl besides her. She could see the submission and pain in her face, which confirmed Ava's theory. The soldiers looked at their princess with bated breath, awaiting her verdict…

Ava gritted her teeth as Zelda dropped the royal family's sword with a loud clang echoing throughout the throne room. It was all over…

"A wise choice," he sneered, a smirk in his voice. He waved a sleeve in the princess's direction, "Escort the princess to her new room where she shall reside indefinitely." Two of those beasts moved forward to where Zelda was standing.

Instead of appearing defeated, Zelda held her head up high with her face lacking any emotion whatsoever.

"You and your shadow beasts have chosen the wrong kingdom to threaten, Zant… Your reign shall only be temporary." Zelda stated as she passed the man with the helmet. _Zant_... Ava now had a name to identify him with. This Zant stiffened and sneered at her retreating back.

"We shall see… Beasts!" he snarled. "Seize this wretched castle, and kill anyone that gets in the way, man, woman, _or_ child." He seemed to notice Ava for the first time and froze. Ava put a hand on her sheath, giving the man a steely look, her violet eyes blazing. She wouldn't hesitate to fight for her life if it came to that.

Zant pointed at her, recovering quickly from his moment of shock. "Take this one to the dungeons. She will be of use to me."

Within moments, Ava was struggling against the hold of a shadow beast. _It's fast, dammit, _she thought as she attempted to break free from their iron grip. The petite brunette hissed when it slashed her cheek. Why in Hylia's name was he even bothering to capture her? Of what use could she possibly be to this guy?

"Let me go!" she snarled as she was promptly dragged out, passing an amused looking Zant. She was led down a flight of stairs leading to the main floor of the castle. Ava noted that its grip on her right hand was slightly loose and wiggled it slightly, testing its motion. If she could only reach her sword…

Ava let out a relieved sigh as her fingers found their way around her trusty longsword. With all the strength she could muster, she ran the sword through the large black shadow beast.

It let go of her and screeched loudly in pain before beginning to thrash. Ava didn't waste this opportunity and made a run for it, abandoning her sword in the beast's body. Hopefully, it would stay put for a few minutes, giving her the chance to run.

Ava didn't bother to turn around to see if the shadow beast was following her. She could hear scurried footsteps behind her.

_A horse… I need a horse_, she thought once she exited the castle. By some miracle, the stables happened to be close by with fully saddled horses lazily picking at the hay that was laid for them. Wasting no time, Ava threw a leg over the closest horse she could find, a dark stallion, which whinnied in protest at the sudden intrusion, and rode him out of the castle gates and out into Hyrule field.

She made the mistake of turning back to see smoke rising from the castle. Angry tears prickled at the corner of her eyes as she turned her back on the castle and the inside people that'd been counting on her… Her soldiers… Zelda…

At that very moment, Ava decided that she was going to stop Zant… or at least die trying.


	2. Calm Before the Storm

Chapter 2: Calm before the Storm

_Castle Town _

_Four Years Ago_

_A bony girl, no older than 12 or 13 sat by herself in the bustling bar, barely touching the warm milk and stew in front of her. Her head was resting on the table in front of her and her body was covered in scrapes and bruises. _

_What was she thinking? What made her possibly think she had what it took to be a soldier? She could barely shoot one arrow without losing her breath, and most of the time, that arrow missed the target entirely. _

_If it weren't for Zelda, she would have quit a long time ago. _

_Zelda had befriended her. Had saved her from a life of thievery. She'd even talked the king into giving Ava a job in the palace. _

_She was an idiot. She assumed that since she knew how to use a dagger, she'd be great as a soldier. And she'd volunteered confidently to join the guard. After all, how hard could it have been? _

_Ava let out a loud groan. It was way harder than she expected. _

_The physical labour in itself was straining. She had also never worn armour before, which was a requirement. It was heavy and made her sweat terribly. That with all the heavy lifting made her dead tired every day. _

_And that wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was the other soldiers. _

_She was one of the youngest and smallest of the bunch. It made her an easy target. She also stuck out because she was a girl. There were other women in the army. They just weren't very common. Those jerks took the time to remind her of her supposed weakness every single day. _

_It was so tempting just to quit. Ava could feel the plan forming in her mind. She could just run away. Move to another land. Start stealing to make a living again. _

_But the image of Zelda's disappointed face stopped those thoughts in their tracks. _

_She lifted her head up and eyed the table across the room where a bunch of rowdy, drunk soldiers were sitting. A sudden determination took hold of her. _

_She would prove them wrong. And she would start by getting stronger. She quickly swallowed up all the stew and chugged down the milk. She left money on the table and waved at the bartender before running out in a hurry. _

_ Ava had a bow she needed to break in._

…

The first thing Ava noticed when she stirred awake was the dull, aching pain in her side. Her eyes fluttered open as she looked about the room she was in. It was fairly cramped and cluttered, yet very homey with a sweet woody scent lingering in the air.

She moaned when she felt another jolt of pain and lifted her shirt enough to feel the paining area, finding that it had neatly been wrapped in white bandages.

"Hey, careful there, you don't want to open those wounds." A concerned voice broke out as a young blond man strode into the room with a bowl of some kind of stew in his hands.

Ava shot up on the makeshift bed, ignoring the pain and the boy's warning, "Where am I?" she asked before hunching over at the intense pain again.

The boy made an annoyed sound at the back of his throat, before helping her lay back down on his bed. "You're going to open those wounds if you keep moving around, miss." At Ava's questioning look, he sighed, "you're in Ordon Village. I found you in the spirit's spring when coming back from the woods."

"Ordon?" Ava questioned, meeting his bright blue eyes. It was at that moment that everything suddenly snapped in her mind. She remembered what had happened and how she had probably gotten those wounds. _Shadow Beasts… Zelda… Zant…_

"Oh no," Ava muttered under her breath, "I have to go." She said in a louder voice to the blond boy. He only raised an eyebrow.

"You're not going _anywhere_ like this," he chuckled, "you nearly had your insides torn out. If I hadn't found you in time, who knows what state you'd be in," he looked thoughtful, "you know, I think the spirit water kept you from dying as well."

"But-"

"Nope, no arguments," he said firmly, pulling up a chair besides Ava, "you can go do whatever it is you need to once you're all healed up."

"I-alright, I can't argue with that…" Ava admitted defeat, slumping against the bedpost.

"You should eat, miss. Keep your strength up and all." He grinned, handing her the bowl. Ava begrudgingly took it, noting the pleasant aroma of fish wafting into her senses.

"My name's Ava," she muttered, delicately spooning some of the stew into her mouth. _It was good._

"Nice to have a name, Ava." He smiled, rubbing the back of his blond head. "I'm Link, by the way."

Ava ate the remaining stew quickly, realising how hungry she really was. Link took the empty bowl from her when she was finished. "Thank you for helping me, Link." Ava nodded. "Not many would be this generous."

He flashed another smile at her. "No worries. You just rest now."

Ava nodded at him, beginning to feel drowsiness pull at her senses. She realised that the bed she was sleeping in was probably Link's. It really was kind of him to save her and offer her a place in his home while she recovered. He was right in a way. The situation was severe, but she was useless with an injury. She promised herself that once she was healed, she'd concentrate on finding a way to stop Zant and rescue Zelda. Those were her last thoughts before she gently lulled off into a dreamless sleep.

…

Ava woke up once more, relieved to see that the pain had actually faded somewhat. She looked out the window by her bed to see that it was about midday.

"Ah, you're up!" Instead of Link, there was a shorter blonde girl by Ava's bedside. She smiled warmly at her and offered a bowl of berries.

"Thank you... um…"

"Ilia," she answered the unspoken question. "I'm a friend of Link's. I've been helping him with your injuries. Wow, the spirit water really made a difference! Everything's almost healed." She rambled excitedly.

"I'm almost healed?" Ava asked, alert. "How long have I been here?"

Ilia frowned and put a finger to her chin. "Link found you two days ago. You responded really well to the spirit water, that's probably why you healed so quickly. Your injuries would've taken weeks to heal, otherwise."

"Could I maybe walk around for a bit?" Ava asked, already anxious to get onto her feet.

"Oh, of course!" Ilia grinned. "You should be good to do that. I can show you the village and introduce you to everyone. Where are you from, anyways?"

"Castle town," Ava answered, sitting up.

"That's a long way from here. Link's actually leaving for Castle Town today to deliver a gift to the Royal family."

Ava's gut clenched at that. So the news hadn't reached this tiny village yet. There was no point in delivering a gift. The city was under Zant's control. Zelda was a captive. The pain must have been visible on her face as Ilia's expression faltered. Ava attempted to busy herself by attempting to stand up. Ilia's arm was immediately around her, supporting her up. She cast a thankful glance as the blonde girl passed her makeshift crutches.

Ilia let go of Ava. Ava adjusted her grip on the crutches until she felt comfortable with them. "Thank you." She said quietly.

"Alright!" Ilia clapped her hands together excitedly. "Let's show you the village."

It was difficult to get down the ladder of the treehouse Link lived in. But Ilia managed to help her down slowly. Then began the tour of the village.

Ava felt a strange pang of remembrance as she walked past the quaint cottages and saw the happy villagers. It felt like she was back in her childhood village.

The villagers they met were all kind and animated. It painted a fine picture for what life must've been like in Ordon. Calm and happy.

There were also many children that brought the village to life. Ava and Ilia encountered a group of them playing by a house on the other side of a shallow river.

"You're the lady Link found!" A brown haired boy exclaimed when he spotted her. "Wow, you look beat."

"Talo!" Ilia crossed her arms and gave him a mock glare. "Don't be rude to our guest."

"Sorry," Talo rolled his eyes.

Ava noticed Ilia perk up as her eyes were drawn to Link coming into the village from the ranch with a brown horse. "Go ahead." Ava told her.

"Are you sure? Can you make it back by yourself?" Ilia asked worriedly.

Ava nearly rolled her eyes. "Have a little faith in me. Go on."

Ilia smiled at her gratefully and ran off to go meet Link and the man she'd introduced to Ava as the mayor and her father.

"Hey, can you fight?" Ava looked down to see Talo looking up at her eagerly. "Link said you had a bow!" Ava nodded. A smile found its way onto her face. "Awesome! You have to train me." He grinned widely. He frowned as he eyed her crutches. "Oh, I mean, once you're better."

Ava didn't know how long she'd stay in the village, but she didn't want to disappoint the boy. "I think I could show you a few things." She found herself answering.

Talo gave a victory cry and ran off to follow the other children. The group of them were heading towards Link's treehouse.

Ava adjusted her weight on the crutches and tried to gauge where the pain was coming from. She could tell that it was mostly her abdomen and left leg. How annoying. Maybe more of that spirit water would heal her faster…

The brunette's attention was drawn by the soft sound of hooves on dirt. Ilia was guiding the horse that Link had with him. Link was running after them. "Ilia wait!"

Ilia pointedly ignored him and continued to walk with the horse, whispering comfortingly to her. Link groaned with frustration and stopped before Ava. "Did you two have a fight?" Ava tilted her head.

Link blinked in surprise to see her standing there, but recovered as he ran a hand through his messy hair. "Epona got hurt while we were jumping a fence. Bu she doesn't know that it was to save Talo." At the confused look he got, he proceeded to explain how he'd rescued the boy from the woods. "Ilia's really protective of her. You can see how well she's taking it." He groaned again. "I was supposed to leave today too."

"Whatever the case, it's a good thing Ilia did spot the injury." Ava pointed out. "You wouldn't want your horse collapsing on you."

Link looked caught for a moment. "Yeah… I suppose you're right." He admitted.

"Go ahead and explain what happened to her." Ava told him. "She'd understand if she knew." Link nodded gratefully, and then ran off in the direction of the spring.

It was a good thing that this happened. Obviously, she wasn't happy about the horse being injured, but it was better that this trip was delayed. It was clear that she was the only one who knew of the horrors that were inflicted upon Castle Town. There was no need for the delivery now. Link would only get himself killed if he went anywhere near there.

She would catch up to Link and Ilia. And then tell them about what had happened. Then once she was well enough to walk, she would leave this village behind. She had no idea of what she'd do from then on. Only that she had to do something. Zant couldn't be allowed to hurt any more people.

_Maybe some of the soldiers are still alive,_ she thought as she began to slowly limp her way to the treehouse. She smiled at the villagers that waved to her as she walked. _Well, I guess I'll have to see._

She may not have officially been the leader of the guard, but she was still responsible for them. Even if they stood no chance, she still felt the crushing guilt. It had all happened on her command… She knew she wasn't right for the job.

She thought of Lee and Charles and felt more worry prick at her. Despite everything, they were her friends. And not knowing of their fate was stressful. She could only hope that they survived that awful bloodbath.

Ava turned around the corner and spotted the treehouse and makeshift dummy and targets beside it. Talo was wielding a wooden sword far too large for him and was sloppily attempting to hit the dummy. The two other children were watching and commenting. It was amusing to watch. At least the boy had spirit. _He'll make a fine warrior one day,_ she mused.

She spotted her bow and quiver leaning against a rock. The girl, Beth, saw her raised brow and blushed. "Sorry, miss. Talo wouldn't listen. He really wanted to see you use it."

"He's an idiot." The two of them looked to the younger boy, Malo. "It's obvious you can't use it in your state."

"I'm recovering." Ava protested, a bit offended.

Malo rolled his eyes. "Yeah."

As much as it was annoying to admit, he was right. She didn't want to open up her wounds. She eyed her bow longingly before shaking her head and sitting down beside it. She put her crutches on the ground beside the rock.

Talo yelped in victory as he hit the pumpkin head of the dummy, causing it to explode. "Monsters, here I come!"

While they sat there in the clearing, none of them were aware of the terror soon to descend on them. As they laughed over Talo tripping over his own feet, horrors were taking place in the spirit spring.

The innocence of the children was to be momentarily shattered as thundering footsteps and the sound of a horn reached them. Ava was up immediately, despite the pain that resonated through her because of the movement. Something was wrong.

"Something's coming. Stay behind me." The commander in her took over. Beth looked terrified as she grabbed Malo and Talo and moved to stand beside Ava. Even Malo with his normally composed expression looked frightened.

Ava grabbed her bow and slung her quiver behind her back, notching an arrow. Her stomach and leg screamed in pain.

"I'll help." Talo said in a determined voice, holding the too large sword in front of him.

Before she had the chance to reprimand him, boars and their riders burst through the woods, weapons in hand. One the back of one of the boars were the still bodies of Ilia and the small boy, Colin.

Ava hadn't the chance to react. "Run! Get to the village!" she yelled at the children. She let an arrow fly. It skimmed the side of one of the monstrous archers. There were too many of them. Even if she was in peak condition, it'd be a difficult fight. "GO!" she screamed, seeing that they were frozen in place.

But it was too late. Beth and Malo were quickly dispatched with blows to the head. Ava roared in anger and shot another arrow, hitting the monster square in the chest, efficiently knocking him off the boar.

The boar, now without a rider lunged at her, knocking her to the ground. Her bow fell from her fingers and was knocked a few feet away from her. She struggled to reach for it and nearly screamed as pain ripped through her. She could feel the blood seeping through the bandages.

"No… Don't!" she gasped in pain as Talo moved to stand in front of her protectively. He yelled and ran at the biggest boar with his wooden sword. "Talo!" she cried as he was kicked back and scooped up by another rider to join the others.

Ava gagged as she was lifted up with a large green hand around her neck. She choked as she tried to pry the hand off of her.

It was the biggest monster that was lifting her up. It must have been their leader. He held her above the ground so she was eye-level with him. "King Bulblin." She gasped out in realisation. He was well known for riding out with his army of bulblins throughout Hyrule Field. He'd never caused much trouble before, so why now? She gagged as he tightened his grip around her throat.

He seemed to be inspecting her with his beady red eyes. He grunted once he found whatever he was looking for and threw her roughly behind him. She coughed raggedly as her lungs rapidly took in the air. Before she could open her mouth again, a club hit her on the skull, effectively knocking her out.

King Bulblin looked about the empty clearing once more. Satisfied with himself, he blew his horn once more before charging back the way he came with his prisoners in tow.


	3. Twilight

Chapter 3: Twilight

Ava woke to see that she was lying face down on a cold stone floor.

Groggily, she lifted her head up, and then the rest of her body so she was on her hands and knees. A shiver trembled through her. It was freezing.

Once she managed to sit up fully, she realised she was in a prison cell. She was alarmed to see that it was not just any prison cell, but a prison cell in the castle. _Great,_ she thought bitterly. _There was no point in escaping after all. I just ended up where Zant wanted me._

As Ava thought back to what happened, the severity of the events hit her. The children. Ilia. They had all been taken.

She was up on her feet. She moved as far as the chains on her ankles would allow her to. They stretched to their limits as she put her hands around the bars and stretched her neck to try and catch a glimpse of the cells beside her. To her growing panic, none of them were in any of the cells near her. She could only pray to the goddesses that they were still alive.

It was futile to try and break the chains. She knew that. But she still tried until her fingernails were bloody from clawing at them. She finally gave up and wrapped her arms around herself. Why was it so cold?

It wasn't just cold. There was just something… dark in the air. When she strained her eyes, it almost looked like there were some sort of dark particles. Enthralled, she lifted her fingers to try to catch them as they floated upwards. When she closed her eyes and looked again, they were barely visible.

Something else she noticed was that there was a lack of pain in her abdomen. She lifted her shirt up and slowly unwound the bandages, putting them in a pile beside her.

There was nothing but a raw looking red line that stretched across her stomach. It would leave an ugly scar, but she hardly cared. She was more astonished than anything. Was it the spirit water, or her captors that had healed her?

On that note, how long had she been in here. A day? A few days? Weeks? She shuddered at the thought. Who knew how much damage that bastard could have done to Hyrule in that much time.

"Stuck?" An amused voice interrupted Ava's musings.

Ava stiffened and looked up to meet the gaze of the person who spoke. If it could be called that. It was a she that was for sure. She was implike with a grey and black body covered in familiar looking markings. Ava knew that she had seen those markings before. Or at least, markings that were similar. The strange creature was sitting atop of a large grey wolf.

"Are you mute or something?" The imp asked, mirth in her amber eyes.

Ava ignored her and stepped closer, stretching her chains out to their fullest. "Zant sent you." She narrowed her eyes as she realised where she'd seen the markings covering the imp.

A look of disgust flashed across the imp's face before the smirk from before reappeared. "Nope. Guess again."

Ava eyed her warily. If Zant didn't send her, then how did she get down to the dungeons? She certainly looked like she was aligned with Zant. Why was she here then?

"I don't really care about answering all the annoying questions you probably have." The imp said in a bored voice. She hopped off of the wolf's back. "Stay, boy." The wolf had an almost irritated look in his blue eyes.

It was the first time that Ava looked at the wolf closely. He seemed to be a feral beast. But she could tell that there was something intelligent in his blue gaze.

She looked away from him to the imp who was gathering a ball of red and black energy in her hands. Ava flinched as she launched the energy in Ava's direction. Ava gasped as it missed her, but instead went to sever her chains off of her ankles. "This might tickle." The imp grinned.

All the weight in Ava's body disappeared as the imp moved her hand, causing her body to float through the bars. She regained herself as she was dropped to the ground outside of her cell roughly. "Thanks," Ava grunted, standing up. "But why-"

"No time for questions." The imp said in a bossy voice. "I saved you, so you have to come with me and do whatever I say. That is if you want to get out of here." She raised herself to float at eye level with Ava.

"I guess I don't have a choice." Ava glared at her. As soon as she was out of the castle, she'd part ways with that annoying imp and plan what to do next.

The wolf moved towards her. He was a big creature and reached up on his hind legs to pat her stomach with his paw. Ava eyed him in surprise. Did he know she had been injured? "How did you-?" she asked in wonder. The wolf only looked at her expectantly. "I'm fully healed." He jerked his head in a nod and got down on all fours again.

"How sweet." The imp snickered. "Doggy's worried about little old you." She leaped back onto the wolf's back. The wolf looked annoyed as she grabbed his fur. "Now if we're done wasting time, can we get out of here _before_ the year ends?"

Both Ava and the wolf rolled their eyes. Ava had no idea as to how she'd stand the imp for so long. But desperate times called for desperate measures, she supposed.

The imp and the wolf worked together to open the tunnel leading out of the cells and into the palace sewers. The imp was able to use some weird magic that amplified the wolf's jumping abilities. Ava had a feeling that there was much more that she could do besides breaking chains and jumping.

Ava had to duck her head to fit in the low tunnel. Once they were out of it, she stretched her sore neck. They were in the palace sewers. They were empty save for something strange in the corner. It looked to be a faint green tinted figure.

Ava gasped as she realised it was a Hylian soldier. "Hey," she called, jogging up to him. "Soldier, what's going on?" she blinked in surprise as he seemed to look straight through her. He looked terrified. What was his name? Darren… no, Daniel. "Daniel?" she moved to put her hand on his shoulder only to gape as it went through him. "What…"

There was giggling behind her. "He can't see or hear you, you know."

"Why not?" Ava asked the imp.

"He's a spirit." She rolled her eyes as if it was the most obvious information. "And I thought Doggie was the stupid one." She received an animal and a human glare at that. "Oh right, you probably don't know what's going on." She looked down at the wolf. "You are a beast. So focus your senses. It's quite interesting."

"I don't understand…" Ava shook her head as she looked at the soldier tremble in fear as the wolf neared him in curiosity. He must have finally been able to see him. "Is he dead?"

"Not really." The imp shrugged.

"Can't run any farther... I'll be safe here… I think," Ava's attention was drawn to Daniel, who was tiredly muttering to himself. "W-what was that noise?" He gasped as the wolf stepped in a puddle. "Don't come near me!" he screamed, cowering against the wall.

What could have him so scared? From what Ava knew of this soldier, he wasn't a coward. Were things really that bad?

"You can't help him, kid. Hurry up." Ava looked to see the imp and the wolf waiting for her.

"Who are _you_ calling a kid?" Ava grumbled, following after them with one last glance at the soldier's spirit. She walked on the other side of the wolf. "I wish you could talk. I'm sure you'd be better company than her."

The wolf grinned at that as the imp cast her a dirty look. Ava pointedly ignored her as they continued down the sewers. "That was a soldier's spirit." Ava listened in on the imp talking to the wolf. "There are lots of other spirits here, ya know."

That was troublesome. How much bloodshed had Zant caused. Were all these ghosts a result of the massacre the day he invaded? Ava couldn't help the familiar feeling of guilt that arose in her.

It was tricky making their way out of the sewers. It involved raising the water levels to swim over spikes on the ground and then draining the water once more to crawl through a tunnel. The imp proved to be even more annoying than Ava originally assumed by ditching her and the wolf to figure out how to drain the water by themselves. It wasn't awfully difficult, and they managed to meet the imp on the other side of the bars that were blocking the way.

Instead of the rats that normally infested the sewers, there were larger shadowy versions of them. Ava felt utterly useless as the wolf leaped to fight the horrific things. She could only stay back. All of her weapons were left back in Ordon, leaving her all but defenceless.

The wolf didn't seem to have any difficulty as he dispatched them with haste. Ava got some satisfaction at the imp's discomfort as the wolf jumped about and ripped the rats apart.

They reached a large spiral staircase. Portions of it were crumbling and others were missing altogether. Ava stood back as the wolf attempted to jump across, only for the staircase to fall apart. He fell into the water, but managed to swim back to the beginning steps. She could hear the imp's grumbling over getting wet as the wolf made his way back to where Ava was waiting. "I don't think we can make this jump." The violet eyed girl mused.

"I guess I have to do _everything_ for you." The imp snapped. She jumped off of the wolf's body and floated to the other side of the staircase. "You-" she pointed at Ava. "Get onto his back. I'll secure the footing for him and help you two across."

Ava did as she said, getting onto the wolf's back. "Sorry," she muttered to him, gripping onto his fur. The wolf didn't look bothered by her weight as he looked over to where the helmeted imp was waiting. Ava noticed that she was using the same magic from before. The wolf took in a nervous breath before leaping.

Ava closed her eyes and tightened her grip on the wolf's fur as he jumped. She opened them to see that they made it without falling. "You may as well stay on," the imp grumbled, floating beside them. "It'd be annoying if you ended up falling and breaking your neck."

"How considerate of you." Ava said as the wolf continued jumping across the gaps in the staircase with the imp's help. The wolf stopped at a dead end incline. The imp went to the top of it, indicating that she wanted him to jump. Ava very nearly slid off as he made that steep jump.

They stopped in front of a tightrope. "Wait." Ava stopped the wolf before he could go on the rope. He turned his head to give her a questioning look. "I can do this on my own." She explained. "It'd be difficult for you with all the extra weight."

The wolf barked and shook his head, indicating that it was alright. But Ava insisted and got off of him. She took a deep breath. "I'll go first." She looked back at the wolf and smiled. The imp was already on his back with a neutral expression on her face.

Ava stepped on the rope and slowly began to tiptoe across it, willing herself not to look down. As she was about halfway across, she felt the rope move. The wolf must have gotten on as well. Ava finally exhaled as she stepped back onto solid ground. She backed up and watched the wolf finish the walk as well. They both looked down. She shuddered at the thought of that fall.

The imp had gotten off of the wolf's back. The wolf crouched as Ava climbed back on. They made the last series of jumps and arrived at the top of the tower.

As soon as Ava got off of the wolf's back, a flurry of bats rained down on them from the ceiling. Ava ducked and covered her head as the wolf growled jumped in front of her. He quickly tore the lot of them to shreds.

As soon as they were all gone, Ava moved to the sealed door. She frowned as she pushed with all her might. It was locked from the outside.

She looked up. There was another door that was already blown open due to the wind. The wolf seemed to be thinking along the same lines as her as he crouched down again.

After yet another series of jumps, they made it out of the tower and onto the castle rooftops.

Ava had to take a moment to absorb what she was seeing. Those black particles from before weren't a trick of the eye. They seemed to be floating in the opposite direction of the drizzling rain and into the sullen grey clouds. The atmosphere cast a dark look upon the castle. It felt alien to her. She couldn't help but wonder where Zelda was? She knew Zant wouldn't kill her. She didn't know if he would stoop low enough to torture her. Wherever the princess was, Ava hoped she was safe.

"So, we were finally able to get out." Midna commented. A smile crossed her face as she looked up at the same sky Ava was. "And look at the sky! Isn't the black cloud of twilight looking beautiful today?"

"Twilight?" the brown haired girl asked absentmindedly, raising her fingers to the black particles again. "Is that what this is?"

The imp nodded. For once, she didn't give a sarcastic retort. "Do _you_ know where this is?" she was talking to the wolf. "You STILL don't know?" she taunted, giggling as the wolf continued to look at her in confusion. "But of course, you know." The imp smirked at Ava, who looked away.

"Are you finished?" Ava asked irritably. "I'd rather we get this escape over with quickly."

"Ouch," Midna rolled her eyes. "Fine. You two need to go to that tower." She pointed to a tall tower in the distance. "There's someone you need to meet."

Ava nodded briskly and shivered again. The elbow length sleeves weren't doing her much good in this rain.

They made their way across the rooftops with a new sense of urgency. There were more spirits up there. Every spirit Ava encountered sent a shock through her. She still didn't understand why they were like this. If they were dead, what was keeping them from passing on? And why couldn't they see the three of them?

They jumped into the tower that the imp was directing them into. After climbing yet another spiral staircase, they were at the ajar door at the top of it.

As Ava opened the door and hesitantly stepped into the room, a few things stuck out to her.

The room was somber. Furnished simply with practical black furnishings and wall coverings. And there was the mysterious figure shrouded in a black cloak standing with their back turned to them.

The wolf growled at the unknown figure. Ava tensed after a quick glance at the smirking imp. Was this all just a trap?

The figure turned around, a soft gasp emerging from them at the sound of the wolf. All they could make out was an aristocratic nose. The wolf straightened up as if realising this person wasn't threatening. "...Midna?!" they asked in shock, looking to the imp. So that was her name.

Out came her signature giggle. "You remember my name? What an honor for me..." The imp-er-Midna said.

"So, this is the one for whom you were searching..." they crouched low to be eye level with the wolf. Ava frowned. There was something familiar about this person. The voice was muffled, so she couldn't tell if she'd heard it before… but there was still something.

"He's not exactly what I had in mind, but...I guess he'll do." Midna shrugged, patting the wolf on the head. She pointed to Ava, who was still lingering a distance behind. "I think it's better if I keep that one too… just to be on the safe side."

"I don't remember agreeing to that!" Ava scowled at the imp.

At their banter, the person finally looked at Ava. Ava was alarmed at the shocked gasp that came from them. "Ava?" their voice was faint.

Ava warily walked towards them. "How do you know my name?" she asked.

Ava found herself gasping as well as she finally got a good look at the face hidden in the shadowed hood. "Princess?" her voice was faint. "Princess!" she hugged her tightly. Zelda clung on just as tightly.

When she drew back, Ava saw there were tears in her eyes. "You're alive… How? I was so sure that the shadow beasts had killed you."

"They almost killed me." Ava admitted. "I escaped."

"Thank the goddesses." Zelda's eyes were smiling. She looked back to the wolf and seemed to notice the shackle on his leg. She looked to ones on Ava's wrists. "...You were both imprisoned? I am sorry." Her voice was somber once more.

"Poor thing, he has no idea where this is or what's happened..." Midna rubbed his side. From what Ava had gathered, that was no ordinary wolf. From his intellect and understanding, he was almost… human. "So, don't you think you should explain to him what you've managed to do? You owe him that much...Twilight Princess!"

"Listen carefully..." Zelda began. "This was once the land where the power of the gods was said to slumber. This was once the kingdom of Hyrule. But that blessed kingdom has been transformed by the king that rules the twilight... It has been turned into a world of shadows, ruled by creatures who shun the light."

Zelda proceeded to explain the events that had taken place in the throne room. It must have been for the wolf and Midna's convenience. When Zelda spoke of Ava's flight, Ava looked at the ground and avoided looking at any of them.

"Twilight covered Hyrule like a shroud, and without light, the people became as spirits." Ava looked up, shocked. Everyone was a spirit? "Within the twilight, they live on, unaware that they have passed into spirit forms... All the people know now is fear... Fear of a nameless evil... The kingdom succumbed to twilight, but I remain its princess... I am Zelda." She removed her hood, revealing her beautiful features.

"You don't have to look so sad!" Midna protested, attempting to lighten the mood. "We actually find it to be quite livable! I mean, is perpetual twilight really all that bad?"

"It kinda is." Ava glared at her, crossing her arms.

"Midna... This is no time for levity." Zelda scolded her. "The shadow beasts have been searching far and wide for you. Why is this?"

"Why indeed? You tell me!" she avoided the question.

"Zelda… I think I understand what's going on." Ava frowned. "But why am I not a spirit? And what does Zant want with me?"

"I wish I had the time to explain." Zelda looked to the door worriedly. " But the guard will soon make his rounds. Ava, just know that you can't let yourself fall into his hands. If you do, he will break you and force you to fight for him. You all must leave here, quickly."

"Like hell." Ava snapped. "I'm not leaving you again."

The desperate look on Zelda's face erased her anger. "You must. I'm sorry. I didn't want for you to be a part in this. But you are. Your orders are to stay by Midna's side until she feels it isn't necessary anymore."

Ava could only look at her, stunned. The wolf was nudging her leg softly. "Yes, Princess." She finally nodded, steely eyed.

"Come on." Midna said. They all looked back to see Zelda facing the windowsill once more before exiting the room.

While Ava had more knowledge about the situation, she felt more lost than ever. It felt like more mysteries had sprung up.

"Not that way!" Midna pulled them to a stop. Noises could be heard from the bottom of the staircase they were descending. "The guard's coming! Boy, he's prompt!"

Quickly, they managed to climb back out the window they entered through before the guard could make his way to them.

Midna floated out ahead of them as the wolf followed. Ava lingered behind, jumping off of the ledge to join them.

The imp giggled as she faced the wolf. "Well? Do you understand where we are now?"

"I think he gets it." Ava said, sparing a glance back at the window where she'd left Zelda. "There's something about you…" she said, taking a knee so she could inspect the wolf again.

"Oh?" Midna tilted her head. "He could just be an ordinary doggy."

"It's clear there's more to him than that." Ava continued to inspect the wolf, who was looking at her with his sharp blue eyes. Had she seen them somewhere before? "You knew I was injured." Ava frowned as she remembered.

"I guess you can't figure it out on your own." Midna floated over to pat the wolf on the head, making him shake her off irately. "What's your name again, doggy? Hmm, Klink? Lonk?" she said seriously. The wolf growled at her. "No, not Lonk? Really?"

"Link?" Ava gasped. The wolf turned from Midna and nodded eagerly. "No, it can't be. How-?"

As she said his name, the similarities were suddenly striking. She could suddenly envision the wolf's blue eyes on a blond boy. He was even wearing a blue hoop in his ear. But how?

"It's the twilight." Midna explained, floating away again. "It transformed him." She ignored Ava and faced Link again. "I guess a promise is a promise, so I'll let you go back to where you first tumbled into twilight...But...are you really sure you should be going back? Are you sure you aren't forgetting anything important?" Midna tapped her chin, eyeing Link with an almost sinister look in her amber eyes.

She spun and in her place was a terrified blond boy. Colin. She twirled again, only for Colin to be replaced with Ilia. Link started, stepping forward with a look of pain in his eyes. Ava swallowed, the gravity of her failure dawning on her.

"Eee hee! Do you want to save them?" Midna's melodic voice emerged from Ilia's mouth. It was cruel of her to taunt him so. The wolf grudgingly nodded. "Well, in that case, little Midna would be happy to help you! But...Well, you'd have to be my servant...and like a servant, you'd have to do exactly as I say!"

She went back to her normal form. Link's rigid stance relaxed as she did so. "I think two servants are better than one, don't you agree?" She asked Ava coyly.

"In your dreams, imp." Ava glared at her.

"How rude. Your princess gave you orders, didn't she? I think it's the least you can do for her considering how much you failed her."

Ava opened her mouth to retort, but closed it, settling to glower at the ground instead. She was right. Zelda did give her orders. But why did the princess have to stick her with Midna of all things?

"Let's go back to where this all started." Midna hummed.

Ava looked to Link in his wolf form. They nodded at each other, coming to a silent agreement before stepping after Midna.


End file.
